


Recovery

by BECandCall



Category: Biohazard | Resident Evil (Gameverse), Resident Evil - All Media Types
Genre: Consensual Sex, F/M, First Time, Hotel Sex, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Porn with Feelings, Smut, Vaginal Sex, Vanilla
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-21
Updated: 2019-09-21
Packaged: 2020-10-25 01:17:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20715692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BECandCall/pseuds/BECandCall
Summary: In the immediate aftermath of the terrible disaster of Raccoon City, Claire tries to come to terms with her feelings about her nightmarish experience. Travel-weary, beaten, and bloodied, Claire, Leon, and Sherry spend the night in the first roadside motel they come across. Claire thought sleep would come easy, but she seems to keep conjuring images of Leon in her mind.





	Recovery

Leon, Claire, and Sherry walked hand in hand down the highway. Raccoon City burned behind them, but out here it was peaceful. No cars came or went. There was only the sound of the wind and the occasional chirping of cicadas from among the tall weeds that lined the roadside. The relentless downpour had finally ceased, and morning sunshine colored the wide, flat landscape with an optimistic brightness that they did not feel. 

The night had left each of them with scars. Each had fought through nightmares too gruesome to comprehend. The memories would likely haunt them for years, if not the rest of their lives. They were beaten, bloodied, exhausted. Sherry jumped at every noise, clinging to both of the others’ hands. It broke Claire’s heart, but there was nothing she could do except reassuringly squeeze her hand in return. Leon’s gaze kept wandering, still stuck on fight or flight, scanning for potential threats. 

For her part, Claire was dead tired. She wanted nothing more than to lie on the ground and sleep forever, but lingering adrenaline left her unwilling to leave herself so vulnerable this close to the edge of the city. So, she put one foot in front of the other, methodically, shambling down the highway beside the other two. 

None of them talked. None of them knew what was ahead, but they were compelled instinctively forward. It had to be better than what was behind. 

After a couple miles, a stop at a tourist center provided a brief respite for their aching feet. They devoured what food they could afford from the vending machines with the loose change from their pockets. Once they were no longer ravenous, they cleaned the worst of the grime from their faces over sinks in the restrooms. The gift shop had a few options for clean clothes, which Leon paid for without complaint using his credit card when Claire, embarrassed, realized she didn’t have her wallet on her.

Since they’d used all their change on the vending machines, they were unable to avail themselves of any payphones, so they were obliged to continue on. 

A few more miles down the road brought them to a roadside motel, where Leon proposed they take a chance to rest and recover. It looked like the kind of place that rented rooms by the hour and reminded Claire rather uncomfortably of some cliche horror movie setting. And she didn’t relish having to rely on Leon paying for all three of them again. She considered suggesting they keep pushing forward when Sherry, held in Leon’s arms and already half asleep, yawned loudly. Claire had to clamp down on a responding yawn of her own, reminded of her own weariness. With the day now half over - and the brief sugar high from the vending machine food now depleted - the prospect of walking the dozen or so miles until the next town felt like an impossible feat. So, she agreed. 

The clerk was a quiet, bored-looking man who gave them a skeptical look when Leon insisted on two rooms - and for the whole night - until he spotted Sherry peeking shyly out from behind Claire’s waist. They were handed two keys with adjoining room numbers, and directed to head out the door and down the outer walkway to their left.

“The hell happened to you?” he asked, looking them over as he waited for Leon’s card to process. Not a very tactful guy, clearly. 

“Car accident,” Leon said, not making eye contact. That put an end to more questions. 

When the payment went through, the trio trudged to their respective doors; Leon took the first room, Claire and Sherry the second. The rooms were small and sparse, the decor chintzy and old. An ancient window fan took up the lower half of the only window, which looked out over the empty parking lot. There was a small television sitting on a chest of drawers that faced the full size bed - Claire made a mental note to check the sheets before letting Sherry sleep - and two doors at either end of the room. Presumably, one was meant for the bathroom, but the other one confused both of them for a moment until the knob turned and it opened, revealing Leon with an equally confused expression. 

Ah, that explained that. 

He retreated with embarrassed apologies. Sherry giggled. Claire was glad to hear the sound. Maybe there was hope for recovery after all. 

Claire gave Sherry first go at the shower, which she used as a cover to confirm that the bedsheets were in fact clean - which, thankfully, they were, if bleached all to hell and having a thread count lower than Claire’s age. While waiting for Sherry to finish, she began pacing the room, contemplating whether to check on Leon, worried over how he would handle the sudden solitude in an unfamiliar place. 

She’d heard stories, mostly from Chris, about agents who didn’t react well to the stress. Some people couldn’t manage to separate battle from peace, to keep the memories at a distance.

Claire fidgeted, tugging at her clothes; the night’s grime had dried, leaving them stiff and uncomfortable. They probably stank to high heaven too, but it was hard to tell after spending so long mired in filth and rotting flesh. She tried not to think of what exactly the grime consisted of. Probably best to just burn them once she changed. She eyed the shopping bag where it sat on the bed, filled with their purchases from the tourist center. The bright logos of Raccoon City contrasted sharply with the crawling, smoking ruin it had now become. Somehow, it felt wrong to wear such a cheery reminder of such an awful tragedy. 

The mental image of herself in the baggy sweatpants and t-shirt made her smirk. Definitely not her best look. She tried to imagine Leon in the sweats and hoodie he’d picked for himself, and snickered. Then, unbidden, the image of him in sweats and no hoodie presented itself.

Claire shook her head, willing the image away. Where did that come from? Hardly the time for that, she berated herself. 

Back at the gift shop, he had easily waved off her mortified apologies at being unable to pay. 

“Don’t worry about it,” he’d said with a shy half-smile. “I’ve probably got hazard pay coming my way soon.” 

She tried in vain to remember what she’d done with her wallet. Likely still in its saddlebag with her bike, back at that gas station on the other side of the city. Probably stolen by now, she lamented. She’d spent over a year’s worth of savings on that bike. Shame to lose it now. Then again, Leon’s jeep had gone up in a spectacular explosion, so he was probably more hard up than she was for transportation. 

More images flashed through her mind. Outside the police station, Leon leaning into the chain link fence that separated them, his fingers woven through the metal wires, a delighted smile lifting his face at the sight of her, despite the chaos around them. Looking for all the world like they were meeting outside a park rather than the middle of a disaster. That same smile when he stepped through the door on the train as they fled the city, his relief palpable. 

What it would feel like to run her hands through his hair.

How her name would sound on his lips in between moans. 

“Claire?” 

She about jumped out of her skin at Sherry’s voice, feeling like she’d just been caught looking up porn in the university library. What was wrong with her? 

“W-what’s up?”

Sherry was wrapped in a robe that was far too big for her, and a towel that she had tried unsuccessfully to wrap around her wet hair, already lopsided and falling off. 

“Can you dry my hair?” 

Claire tried not to laugh at the sight, glad for the distraction. They sat on the bed while she rubbed at Sherry’s hair with the towel. They didn’t have any hairbrushes, so she had to leave it tangled, but at least it was clean now. 

Then, at last, it was Claire’s turn. 

She had never enjoyed a shower more in her life. She turned the water as high as she could stand, then turned it up just a bit further to really make sure the accumulation of filth and gore were gone. She scrubbed with the rough washcloth and soap that came with the room for over half an hour until she was pretty sure she’d taken off a layer of skin. Eventually, when the hot water started running out, she had to declare herself clean and shut it off. 

She donned a second robe that was hanging from a hook behind the bathroom door while absently towel-drying her hair. Back on the bed, Sherry was already sound asleep, wrapped snugly in the comforter and her robe. The air conditioner was blasting stale, room-temperature air through the room, fanning the rapidly drying hair against Sherry’s forehead. The television screen glowed faintly, displaying brightly colored cartoon characters with exaggerated features and wacky voices. 

She smiled, hoping this was a good sign that Sherry had managed to escape any lasting psychological damage. Soon they would have to figure out what to do with her. Claire’s smile faded; most likely, she would be turned over to whatever family she had left. Or become a ward of the state. The thought turned Claire’s stomach, but there was nothing to be done about it now. Sleep was probably the best thing, for both of them. 

Claire flopped down onto the empty side of the bed, staring at the ceiling. She expected sleep to come easily, but was unable to close her eyes. She’d been exhausted ever since they left the city’s borders, but now that she could finally sit still, she was fidgety. Leon and his sheepish half smile flashed through her mind again. His look of relief when they’d reunited on the train. She’d been just as relieved to see him. There hadn’t been time then to say what was on her mind, but there was time now. 

She glanced over at the door adjoining their two rooms, then away. No way he’d be up for talking now. Right? Her eyes wandered back to the door, uncertain. He’d been constantly on edge since they’d left the city. Maybe he was having just as much trouble resting as she was. It felt rude not to at least check on him. 

Before she could overthink it, she rose and walked to the door, knocking lightly, careful not to wake Sherry. It took a moment before the door opened, and Leon was there, wearing a matching bleach-white robe and a concerned expression, hair still damp from his own shower. 

“Everything okay?” he asked. 

Claire nodded and put a finger to her lips, indicating Sherry on the bed. Leon glanced over, smiled that half smile, then gestured to Claire to come through to his side. She stepped over the threshold, wondering why her heartbeat was rising as Leon quietly shut the door behind them. 

“You okay?” he asked again. 

She nodded, then shrugged, shook her head, trying to think of what to say. “Sorry, I guess I’m just feeling restless.” 

“No it’s fine, I was just… “ Leon gestured to the nightstand, where the various parts and pieces of his standard issue sidearm were spread across the surface, newly cleaned. “They, uh, only give you the one, so…” 

“Can’t sleep either, huh?” 

Leon chuckled. 

“Not really, no.” He hesitated, then asked, “Why can’t you?” 

Claire shrugged again, considering. 

“I don’t know. I guess there’s just… too much to process.” 

“Yeah, I hear you. You’re holding up pretty well, all things considered.” 

“Am I?” She shook her head, incredulous. Chris had always made sure she was prepared for danger, but this had been the first she’d ever been really tested. Ever since she’d run into the … thing … at that gas station, it was all she could do not to curl into a ball and weep at the hellscape they were passing through. She’d almost done just that more than once, but kept going, for Sherry’s sake. And for his. She almost said as much, decided against it. “What about you?” she asked instead. “Didn’t you say this was your first day on the job?” 

“Technically I’m on day two now.” 

They both laughed at the absurdity. 

There was momentary silence, and Claire suddenly lost her courage, too nervous to say what she’d come here to say. They had a connection; she was pretty sure she wasn’t wrong about that. But maybe the timing was off. Maybe she was just being selfish. What if she had misread things? What if she would just be adding more stress? 

All these thoughts went through her mind in about a second, and in that time Leon had crossed the small room. Suddenly he was right there, inches from her, his hand on her cheek, pale eyes staring into hers. 

“I’m glad you made it out,” he said, suddenly very serious. 

Claire had to swallow before she could respond. 

“Yeah… me too. I mean, glad that you---” 

Before she could finish, he moved in and their lips met. It was a gentle kiss; tentative, like most things Leon did at first. After a moment, he pulled away, watching her reaction, looking very nervous. 

He needn’t have been. 

Claire closed the gap between them this time, and she was much less hesitant. Her arms came up to wrap around his neck. After he got over the initial shock, his own hands trailed around to her back, pulling her closer. As one, they moved backward, tripping over the bedside and falling onto the mattress, breaking the kiss only long enough to laugh before resuming. 

She leaned into his hands as they worked around to her front, sliding up and down her waist. The stiff material of the robe was abrasive against her freshly cleaned skin, and the conflict of sensations sent delightful jolts down her spine. Leon broke away, but didn’t move far. Bolder now, his lips wandered to her jaw, and he began leaving a trail of soft kisses down her neck, slowly making his way down the center of her chest where the robe was starting to fall open. 

He stalled there, bravery faltering as he looked up to her for confirmation. She met his gaze, momentarily breathless at the vulnerability she saw there, and smiled reassuringly. Taking his hands in her own, she guided them to where the robe’s sash remained stubbornly tangled in itself. He undid the knot with agonizing slowness, eyes still locked with hers. Her breathing grew shallow with suspense. By the time he finally pulled the panels of the robe aside to reveal her naked body beneath, she was positively squirming with anticipation. 

She hadn’t done this very many times, but the men she’d been with before had always been impatient to get right to it, not much interest in the build up. Leon seemed to be taking his time on purpose, wanting to savor every inch of her. As he took in the sight of her, eyes raking slowly up and down her curves, she expected to feel self-conscious. Instead she only felt admired. And eager to continue. 

“You just gonna stare all night?” She propped herself onto her elbows and flashed a coquettish smirk. 

He let out a sharp exhale she almost took for a laugh, until he met her gaze once more; the vulnerability was gone, replaced by a deep heat that made the muscles in her gut clench and her heart race. He moved forward, crushing her into the mattress with another kiss, this one far deeper, with none of his earlier hesitation. Their hips pressed together, and she felt his erection against her pelvis, behind the robe he still wore. New jolts went through her at the rough material rubbing against such a sensitive spot. She moaned into his mouth. Encouraged, his tongue slipped between her lips and met hers, sliding along it, teasing it, driving her crazy. She needed air. 

She broke the kiss, gasping, but Leon wasn’t finished. His hands found her breasts, his thumbs circling her nipples as he kissed and nibbled his way up and down her neck, devouring her hungrily. She bit her lip on another moan, recalling that Sherry was still asleep next door. Shit, that reminded her. 

“Leon, we… ohhh…” Her thoughts were scrambled for a moment as his tongue circled one nipple. Focus! “The door…” she managed to get out. 

“Huh?” He took a moment to process what she’d said, then comprehension dawned. “Shit, you’re right.” He tore himself away - with great reluctance, she noted - and crossed the few steps to the door leading to the other room. He slid the chain into the rail, locking it from their side. Hopefully Sherry wouldn’t wake up, but at least if she did and came looking for them she wouldn’t get an eyeful not fit for children. 

“There we go.” Leon turned back to the bed, where Claire was waiting. She smiled, noticing his erection poking through the panels of his robe. She bit her lip at the sight, but another unfortunate thought intruded on her good time. 

“Fuck, I don’t have any condoms!” Her face fell. She could kick herself. There had been a couple in her saddle bag, doing her no good where it was, a whole city away. Leon’s light chuckle caught her attention, though. 

“Hang on, I got you covered.” 

He disappeared into the bathroom with a quarter from his wallet. There was a sound of metal gears turning, and then he was back, brandishing a small foil square triumphantly.

Claire laughed. 

“Thank god for cheap-ass roadside motels!” 

There was a sentence she never thought she’d say. 

As he approached her, she rose to her knees, shedding the robe that still hung from her shoulders, leaving her completely bare. Their lips met again, arms exploring freely now. She moved to undo Leon’s sash, sliding her hands up over his torso, savoring the feel of his bare skin and taut muscles beneath her palms, enjoying the hitched breathing her touch caused. Her hands moved to his shoulders, sliding the robe off and letting it fall to the floor at his feet. 

Now that there was nothing between them, even the tiniest sliver of space felt like too much. They pressed into each other, desperately clinging to get closer as their tongues explored each other’s mouths. Leon’s cock was caught against Claire’s abdomen, pre-cum moist against her flesh. She felt an answering wetness between her thighs, and fuck if she didn’t want this man inside of her pronto. 

She fell back onto the bed, pulling him with her, and their hips ground against each other with a mind of their own. His hands sought out every sensitive spot on her body, lingering in the places that caused her moans to grow louder. Fingers pinched at her nipples, followed by gentle caresses. He trailed down her stomach, careful to avoid tickling, until he reached the delicate mound at the apex of her thighs. Watching her for reactions, he began circling one thumb, lightly, over her clit. She gripped the covers beside her, gasping up at the ceiling, eyes shut of their own volition. He changed direction, sliding up and down through her slick outer lips, teasing at the entrance hidden between with his index finger but never quite entering, not even when she began pleading, breathlessly, for him to grant her release. He was deliberately driving her crazy. Well, two could play that game. 

Releasing her death grip on the covers, she pushed against him slightly. He complied, rolling onto his back so that she was now straddling him. She bit her lip on another moan at the feeling of his hard sex bare against her wet clit. She rose up slightly, granting some merciful space to stop herself going over the edge too soon. Leon’s hips tried to rise with her, but she pushed down with both hands, grinning wickedly. Leaning over, she began kissing his neck, then nibbling. She felt his answering moan all the way down her spine, and it was all she could do to stop herself from thrusting down and riding him the way her thighs desperately wanted her to. 

She left a trail of delicate bites down and across his chest, delighting in the sounds of his ragged breathing and the feel of his lean muscles clenching and releasing reflexively to her touch. Her tongue circled each of his nipples in turn, then she moved back up to his jaw, his neck. She perked her lips and blew gently into his ear. His hands rose to grip her hips, clenching tightly as his breathing grew ragged. She nibbled his earlobe, and his hands lowered to her ass, grasping at the flesh in an attempt to regain control as he gasped curses she hadn’t thought he’d known. 

Still straddling him, she reached down between her legs, finding his cock hard and throbbing beneath her. She took hold, moving her hand up and down the shaft, keeping her grip loose, her strokes slow. 

“Fuck! Claire… “ His voice was hoarse with desire, and the sound of her name from his mouth sent another delightful chill through her. Her thighs clenched eagerly. Her pussy was aching for his touch again. 

Fuck Claire. Not a bad idea. 

The condom had been tossed to the side of the mattress, momentarily forgotten in their passion. She reached for it now, removing the crinkling wrapper and unrolling it over Leon’s hard length. 

“Ready?” she asked. 

“Are you kidding?” he gasped. “I’m way past ready.” 

“Good.” 

She leaned down and planted another kiss on his lips, then maneuvered the tip of his shaft into her entrance, slowly lowering herself over him, around him, until he completely filled her. 

She had to take a minute to get her bearings, but it wasn’t long before her body took over and she began moving without thought. Her hips rose slowly, almost to the end of him, then back down just as slowly. It was torture for them both, but the best kind. Again, she rose up, teasingly close to releasing him entirely, then brought herself back down. After that, things grew hazy. She was aware distantly of herself gasping and moaning, heard his name coming from her mouth, felt his body rise, his mouth covering hers. 

Then she was on her back, with him over her, and it was him setting the pace; still slow, but movements less controlled, more unsteady. He was close to the edge already, but fighting it. She felt the strength of his arms as they enveloped her, heard the desperation in his voice as he grunted and panted with each motion. She spread her legs wider, wrapping them around him to bring him closer, fighting him for every inch he pulled away for another thrust. His movements grew quicker, more rhythmic now that he’d found some measure of control. He was pounding into her, and each thrust drew a ragged moan from her. She couldn’t have held it in if she’d wanted to. 

“Fuck me… “ she heard someone with her voice saying. “Ah fuck! Don’t stop! Fuck me!” 

She cried more encouragements into Leon’s shoulder, but if he heard or comprehended, it probably wouldn’t have mattered. He moved within her harder, faster, heedlessly hurtling them both toward the edge. She could feel it coming, wanted them both to reach it together. 

“Leon… I’m coming…!” 

The warning was timely, as she felt the plunge only a moment later, plummeting down to the depths of her awareness, crying out into his shoulder as she fell. Her inner walls pulsed around his shaft as she rode the waves of pleasure down into darkness. His ragged voice joined hers, and with three more heavily punctuated thrusts, his whole body tensed as he fell with her. Everything went black. 

Claire wasn’t sure how much time passed before sense returned to her. It couldn’t have been long. When she opened her eyes, Leon was still over her, still inside her, his forehead pressed to hers. His eyes were still shut, his breathing deep and ragged. It felt like they were floating, but she could feel the itchy fabric of the robe against her backside, an unpleasant reminder of the reality they’d momentarily escaped in each other’s arms. 

She reached up to frame his face with her hands, and pulled him in for a kiss, her lips light and delicate. He returned it, eyes still closed, but she felt a smile tug at the corners of his mouth. When he pulled away, his eyes had opened, meeting hers. His smile widened.

“You okay?” 

It seemed to be his favorite question; he must have asked her that a dozen times over the last, what? Twelve hours? Had they only known each other that long? Shit. All this felt like a dream. They hadn’t even been together for most of that time, but something about him had drawn her in, right from the first. It could be that bashful half-smile, or his awkward attempts at humor and flirtation even when the world was collapsing around them. Or, more likely, it was the genuine concern in his eyes when he looked at her. How she could tell he really meant it when he asked about her wellbeing. 

He was frowning now, that same concern growing in his expression. She realized she hadn’t answered him. 

“Yeah, I’m good.” She smiled, rubbing a thumb across his cheekbone in reassurance. “What about you?”

“Oh, I’m great,” he chuckled, leaning in for another kiss. 

“Yeah you were.” 

“So were you.” 

That bashful smile again. It felt like it was designed to pull at her heart. He leaned back in, forehead to forehead, then with a great sigh withdrew himself and rolled over. He removed the condom, wrapping it in a tissue from the nightstand before throwing it into the nearby waste bin. They each took a moment to clean themselves off before collapsing back onto the bed. Claire rolled onto her side, one arm propped on its elbow, head resting in her hand. 

“What happens now?” she asked. 

Leon thought for a moment, frowning up at the ceiling. 

“I need to report what happened.” 

“Report to who exactly? I thought your superiors were all back the way we came.” 

“Well… then I guess I need to find that out first.” He turned to her. “What about you?” 

She hesitated, knowing the answer but not really wanting to say it. 

“I still need to find my brother.” 

She hadn’t forgotten her reason for coming here in the first place. Or that she’d failed to find anything other than a random note signed by Chris but sounding nothing like him, and that cop’s story of him being on vacation “somewhere in Europe”. Which, of course, didn’t exactly narrow things down. The implications were troubling, especially given what had happened in Raccoon City. 

The mattress creaked, and she felt Leon’s hand against her cheek, calloused fingertips contrasting the gentle touch. She looked up at him, realizing she’d been lost in her thoughts again, made him worry about her again. He was disappointed, she could tell, but he’d never say as much. Much as she’d have liked to stick around, she was determined. And he had his own responsibilities. 

They drew together, out of apprehension now more than passion, needing the comfort of each other’s skin against their own. Just for a few more minutes, Claire thought. Then she’d go back to Sherry. Some part of her knew that wherever she was going, Sherry wouldn’t be safe. Another hard decision to be made. She shut her eyes against the notion. 

Tomorrow. She’d think about it tomorrow. 

The morning would bring reality, separation, more dangers they likely weren’t even aware of yet. But for tonight, just now, Leon was holding her close, and she could pretend that this quiet was normal. 

That this was more than just recovery.

**Author's Note:**

> I literally had the idea for this fic pop into my head almost the instant Claire and Leon meet up in the new RE2 remake. They are so stinkin' cute together, and I will always stan for this ship. Hope y'all enjoyed my first attempt at smut!


End file.
